Not Your Mama’s Graham Crackers
For as long as I can remember, I have loved graham crackers. Picture a kindergartener fidgeting in her chair, hands clasped on my lap (trying to look angelic of course), waiting for the carton of milk and graham crackers. Once I got my milk and cookie, I would break the cracker in half, dip it in my milk, and quickly pop it into my mouth and feel it dissolve on my tongue.
Stepped up Grahams
The cookie of choice, Honey Maid Graham Crackers, and not just in school. My mom always kept a box of graham crackers in our pantry. The perfect after-school treat or bedtime snack.
One of my favorite farmer’s market stands is the 2nd Story Bake Shop (sadly gone now). I usually stop by for my favorite indulgence, their pie cookie. A delicious bite-size treat of a buttery crust filled with seasonal fruit- fall apples, spring strawberries, summer peaches.
Cracker Craft
On my last visit as I grabbed my pie bite, their cookie jars caught my eye. The first one contained almond sticks. The second had graham crackers. The graham crackers were slightly darker than golden brown, round not square with none of the characteristic markings. They looked rather unassuming. The vendor exclaimed it was her favorite cookie. Ok, I’ll give it a go. It was DELICIOUS, crispy, buttery, with a hint of cinnamon and honey. Wow, not your mama’s boxed graham crackers.
After some cajoling, banking on me not knowing the book or pastry chef, they revealed the source of their recipe. The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco (Tom Colicchio’s pastry chef). Wouldn’t you know it, I own a copy! No big surprise there.
Homemade graham crackers. I know, who would have thunk it that you can actually make graham crackers at home. Of course, you won’t have that familiar blue box with the honey bee on it, but you won’t miss it after you try these.
Making these cookies is similar to shortbread cookies. I opted not to roll out the dough but to form a slice and bake log. Easy peasy. The dough is pretty soft, chilling makes it easier to form a log. I used clover honey which is very mild in flavor. I’m sure you can experiment with other kinds of honey. I am waiting for my embossed rolling pin to arrive so I can roll and stamp the dough before baking, an idea I saw on food52. The cookies looked amazing. The embossed version in a delicious dessert can be found here!
I couldn’t resist turning some of these homemade graham crackers into the quintessential campfire treat, S’mores. I can almost hear all of you going hmmm, I remember making S’mores! So keep this recipe in mind, and when summer rolls around travel back to your kid days, get out the marshmallows, Hershey’s Chocolate bars, whip up a batch of these grammies, and enjoy!
Not Your Mama’s Graham Crackers
Ingredients
Da Dry MIx-Sift together and Set Aside:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream Mixture:
- 8 ounces 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and honey. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. In two additions, add the dry ingredients, letting the first fully incorporate before you add the second.
- Flatten the dough into a rectangular shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Unwrap the chilled dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Using a ruler and a pastry cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-1/2-by-3-inch rectangles; use a spatula to transfer the rectangles to the prepared baking sheets as you go. Reroll the scraps of dough once, and cut out more cookies. Using a fork, pierce each rectangle with two rows of four to six marks.*
- Bake the graham crackers, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until they are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- The graham crackers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- *Or alternatively, shape dough into a log 3x3 square or 3 inch round, chill until dough is firm enough to cut. Slice 1/8 inch thick slices. Place on cookie sheet approximately 1 inch apart. Bake 11-12 minutes until golden brown. Optional" sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking.
- Makes approximately 30 cookies